Skillmation: Call for Mentors

Communities thrive when connections are made that share experience, skills, and talents across the divides of age, income, and neighborhoods. That’s why Ben Bauermeister and Martha Trolin have created Skillmation.

Skillmation is a website for establishing mentoring relationships in our community.  It’s a localized tool that the young and energetic in our county can use to discover the hidden talents of our highly skilled residents, non-profits and local businesses. Skillmation is for anyone searching for mentor, job shadowing apprentice, and intern opportunities.

Who do we serve?

There are two unrelated prevailing demographic attributes of Jefferson County that Skillmation can naturally bring together:

One: our community is changing, but currently one in three of us is over 60 - which means that so many of our community members can offer insights based on our rich human capital.

Two: to help our students and young professionals succeed in our schools and community, they can benefit from the wisdom of our collective experiences.

Skillmation provides a bridge between those with specific areas of expertise and those with enthusiasm to learn.  It provides a tool for schools, young businesses and new residents to discover the wealth of history and experience that already exists in our community.

Skillmation and our schools

Skillmation is working with the schools in our county, including public, private and home schooling to offer connections to the community.  Similarly, Skillmation enables individuals, and both for-profit and non-profit businesses a way to reach out and support their community members.

For instance, Port Townsend Public Schools have embarked on an innovative, place-based form of education known as The Maritime Discovery Schools Initiative.  Together, with their ongoing high school Senior Projects, many students and teachers are currently seeking a diverse range of community mentors.

We need your help

Between now and the fall the Skillmation team is trying to get as much talent as they can find, “front-loaded” onto the site. Then they will officially open www.skillmation.com to the public so that Skillmation can help build a vibrant connection between residents of Jefferson County willing to share skills, and people searching for those skills.

Just go to www.skillmation.com have a look around, create a profile listing in as many as 5 skill areas. It’s easy. You decide what you want to offer and how frequently you want to be involved. It’s all up to you.  The community thanks you.